PURPOSE: To provide an ink jet recording apparatus capable of always certainly removing the adhered on a recording head in the most efficient manner.

CONSTITUTION: The first wiping member 22 coming into contact with a recording head 24 first and the recond wiping member 23 coming into contact with the recording head 24 later are provided. By differentiating the material quality or thickness of the first wiping member 22 from that of the second wiping member 23, the contact pressure of the second wiping member 23 to the recording head 24 is made larger than that of the first wiping member 22 to the recording head 24. The speed of a carriage 23 at a time when the second wiping member 23 large in contact pressure comes into contact with the recording head 4 is made less than that of the carriage 33 at a time when the first wiping member 22 relatively low in contact pressure comes into contact with the recording head 24.